UNITED NATIONS— MINISTER of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia, said, yesterday, that the decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to seek time extension for the 2011 elections would not lead to constitutional crisis.

On Sunday, INEC said the timeline for the implementation of voter registration and the general elections was too tight.

It requested an extension to enable it deliver on aspirations of Nigerians for credible registration of voters and conduct of the elections.

Ajumogobia who was speaking to reporters on the margins of the ongoing Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York, said that President Goodluck Jonathan’s absence on the first of the two-days summit was as a result of these national matters.

Ajumogobia assured the international community that Jonathan would arrive New York today to participate in the General Assembly meeting and other bilateral meetings, said the election timetable process had begun in earnest and that the inauguration of the new president would take place on May 29, 2011.

He, said: “One of the reasons for the President not being here is because he is holding meeting with INEC on their recent plans (to move the election timetable). We cannot develop our economy without a sound and solid political environment.

“We are in the middle of an election cycle with the elections into local, state and national elections slated for the middle and towards the end of January.

He (Jonathan) has discussions going on back home and we are committed to free and fair elections in 2011, and the inauguration of the new president will be on May 29, 2011.”

Ajumogobia who was flanked by Nigeria’s envoy to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu, added:“It was absolutely possible’ to get an extension from the National Assembly for the election.

I have no doubt that whatever changes that is required to be made, even in the constitution, will be made to ensure that we have a credible election in 2011.

“I do not foresee that situation (constitutional crisis) and I do not want to speculate especially in a pessimistic way. I am optimistic that they (National Assembly) will be reasonable as they have been so far.

“We have admitted that the timeline is tight and INEC fixed that timeline and INEC is headed by someone who usually for Nigeria is acceptable to all. Everyone speaks well of him, his integrity, fairness, and so on.

They have now come out to say, and that again speaks of the integrity of the man, that the timetable is tight

“That will, of course, require the National Assembly to intervene and I think everyone in Nigeria is committed to a free and fair election in 2011.”